Combs &c. Families of Essex, England

	Combs &c. Families of County Essex, England

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Essex is a maritime county, bounded on the north by the counties of Suffolk and Cambridge, on the west by those of Hertford and Middlesex, on the south by the river Thames, which separates it from Kent, and on the east by the German ocean (North Sea)… This county is in the diocese of London, and province of Canterbury, and comprises the archdeaconries of Essex and Colchester, and part of that of Middlesex. The archdeaconry of Essex contains the deaneries of Barstaple, Barking, Chafford, Chelmsford, Dengie, Ongar, and Rochford; that of Colchester, the deaneries of Colchester, Lexden, Newport, Sampford, Tendring, and Witham; and that portion of the archdeaconry of Middlesex which is in this county, those of Dunmow, Harlow, and Hedingham… For civil purposes it is divided into the nineteen hundreds of Barstable, Becontree, Chafford, Chelmsford, Clavering, Dengie, Dunmow, Freshwell, Harlow, Hinckford, Lexden, Ongar, Rochford, Tendring, Thurstable, Uttlesford, Waltham, Winstree, and Witham, and the royal liberty of Havering-atte-Bower. It contains the borough and market towns of Colchester and Maldon ; the borough, market town, and port of Harwich; and the market towns of Barking, Billericay, Braintree, Brentwood, Chelmsford, Chipping-Ongar, Coggeshall, Dunmow, Epping, Grays-Thurrock, Halstead, Malden, Manningtree, Rayleigh, Rochford, Romford, Thaxted, Saffron-Walden, Waltham-Abbey, and Witham.

In Essex are found the surnames COMB, COMER, COMBER, CUMBER, CUMBE and even CONES, which were apparently interchangeable in this county in early times (See Also Devon for same). It also appears possible that at least one Combe family in this county, those of Chigwell Parish, were kin to or closely associated with the Archdale-Combe Families of St. Mary Aldermanbury, London, some of whom also had Essex residences (See the COMBE and & Richard RIPTON records below).

Another reason for interest in Essex is Warwick CAMMOCK, close associate of both Abraham & Archdale COMBES of Old Rappahannock County, Virginia in the 1660s. He was himself probably born in Essex, the son of Capt. Sussex CAMMOCK of Boreham, Essex, himself the s/o Thomas and Frances RICH Cammock of Layer Marney, Essex, and nephew of Robert RICH, Earl of Warwick, active in the early 1600s in both the Virginia and New England Colonies. Thomas CAMMOCK, brother of Sussex, was a close associate of Sir Ferdinando GORGES, who was also of the Virginia Company, associated with Robert RICH, and an Archdale Family in-law (See also Cammock Family) Yet another early Combs-Associated Family in Essex is that of the Stacy Family of Early Virginia & Maryland who associated with the Combs of VA for hundreds of years.

Other Essex surnames in common w/either the Archdales and/or the Colonies, include: Andrews, Archdale, Aylett, Ayloffe, Burroughs (a.k.a. Borroughs, Burris), Burton, Elliot, Green, Harris, Lovett, Mason, Mott, Palmer, Ripton, Sexton & Vassall.

Note: Except where otherwise noted, all Essex Records Office sources for record abstracts are from SEAX, Essex Archives Online. Copies of some of the original records have already been ordered by Combs &c. researchers, with the present abstracts serving as “bookmarks”.

Combs &c. Records by Hundred and Parish in which Combs and Associated Families have been found thus far

Hundred of Barstable
Hundred of Becontree
- Barking,
- Dagenham,
- East and West Ham,
- Hornchurch,
- Low Leyton,
- Wanstead
- and
- Woodford
Hundred of Chafford
- Cranham
- and
- Wennington
Hundred of Chelmsford
- Chelmsford,
- Boreham
- and
- Stock
Hundred of Clavering (None at this time)
Hundred of Dengie
- Maldon
- and
- North Fambridge
Hundred of Dunmow
- Thaxted
Hundred of Freshwell (None at this time)
Hundred of Harlow (None at this time)
Hundred of Hinckford
- Halstead
- and
- Braintree
Hundred of Lexden
- Colchester,
- Fordham,
- West Bergholt
- and
- Parish Not Known
Hundred of Ongar
- Chigwell,
- Parishes within 8 mi. of Chigwell);
- Theydon Bois (AKA Thoydon Boyce, Thoydon-Bois, etc.);
- Navestock,
- North Weald Bassett,
- Stanford Rivers
- and
- Parish Not Known
Hundred of Rochford
- Rayleigh
Hundred of Tendring
- Great Holland
Hundred of Thurstable
- Great, Much and Little Totham
Hundred of Uttlesford
Hundred of Waltham
- Epping
- and
- Waltham Holy Cross
Hundred of Winstree
- Layer Marney
Hundred of Witham
- Little Braxted

Search Combs &c. of Essex

Earliest Combs of Essex

Extracted by Combs Researcher Joe Kendalll from “Curia Regis Rolls”, His Majasties Stationary Office (HMSO), Public Record Office (PRO), London, 1922, v.i: p. 57:

Hilary term 15 John (1214). “ Essex, Galfridus de Say ponit loco sou Gaufridum de SAY filium suum vel Ricardum de CUMB' vel Simonem de IFELD' versus Gaufridum de MAUNDEVILL' de placito terre ect.”

Essex, Galfridus de Say puts in his place his son Gaufridum de SAY or Richard de CUMBE or Simon de IFELD versus Guafridum de MAUNDEVILL of a dispute of Land.

29 March 1574 Easter. Hundred of Lexden. Quarter Sessions Roll 1574. Q/SR 48/57. Sessions held at Stanway before William SAMMON and Thomas SAMPFORD, high constables. “…Orders for Roger COMBE to find a sufficient master before Easter next, by the surety of Thomas BYRDE ; for Thomas HYLLS, glover, to find master before the feast of Saints Phillip and James KYNGE to certify the high constables aforesaid of his covenant made with Ralph WENDON before Easter next; and for Thomas TOMPSON to serve Henry TOMPSON, his father, for one whole year, for 40s, a year…”